Center for nature and cultural history De Bastei
| In collaboration with | Architect van Roosmalen van Gessel, De Twee Snoeken, DWA |
| Location | Nijmegen |
| Project scope | 4,500 m2 bvo |
| Expertises | |
Archaeological conditions
Architect Van Roosmalen van Gessel designed De Bastei on behalf of the municipality. The building connects the historic Stratemakerstoren to semi-submerged new construction. Notably, the museum is built in and on an existing Roman fortification wall, the original city wall of Nijmegen. Therefore, the national archaeologist was closely involved in this project. The archaeological conditions require, among other things, extremely careful positioning of the grout anchors.
Retaining wall
Structurally, the project was also challenging. A 6-meter-deep basement at the foot of the Valkhof hill received an anchored, retaining CSM wall that holds back the hill’s soil mass. The CSM wall was installed half a meter away from a building founded on steel. Using resonance technology, steel profiles with a profile size of HE300 and a length of 10 meters were driven to depth.
Glass bay window
During the excavation, remarkable archaeological finds were uncovered, such as the rear of the Bastei, the city wall with a tower from the 13th century, Roman walls from the 1st and 4th centuries, and foundations of brick houses from the 14th century. The city archaeologists and the national archaeologist were therefore closely involved in the realization of this project. Notably, all archaeological finds were preserved in situ and integrated into the museum. This was only possible thanks to the necessary inventiveness and intensive collaboration between all parties involved. Each new find could mean that the design and its associated execution method had to be adjusted and revised.
The entrance building of De Bastei is located in the street at the rear. From the entrance, visitors can descend to the basement, which provides access to the Bastei wall. At the front of De Bastei, a new façade with a fully cantilevered glass bay window, offering a fantastic view of the Waal and the floodplains, has been realized. The cherry on top is the playful roof structure’s steel construction, intended for hospitality purposes.
Vertical cross-section sketch of the main load-bearing structure ©ABT
A lot of wood
The building has a high sustainability ambition, which is why as much wood as possible has been used. 15-meter-high tree trunks with an average diameter of 600 mm support the interior structure. The lower floors are supported by laminated wooden beams. Above them, two concrete floors have been installed, which is necessary due to the fire resistance compartmentalization.
Sketch of the connection between laminated wooden beams and tree trunks ©ABT
De Bastei: result of a beautiful collaboration
The new museum De Bastei, a center for nature and cultural history, bridges the gap between history and contemporary issues, fitting for the oldest city in the Netherlands. The archaeological finds uncovered during construction provided a unique opportunity to reinforce that story and show how the city historically responded to its lifeline: the Waal.
The architectural development of De Bastei was carried out by De Twee Snoeken, and consultancy firm DWA was responsible for the installation advice. ABT advised on the construction, foundation, and retaining wall.
De Bastei is the winner of the Schreudersprijs 2019, the award for an outstanding achievement in underground construction.
Images © Luc van Roosmalen, Mertens en Beeldtaal
